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Five state agencies ink agreement to bring overhead utility cables underground



BANGKOK: -- Five state agencies and state enterprises related to power and telecom have entered a significant agreement to speed up the long delayed project to bring all overhead utility cables underground under the prime minister's initiative to make Bangkok cleared of spaghetti eyesore overhead.

The delay in the removal of utility cables underground, though launched several decades ago, but could move slowly, was blamed on lack of spirit of cooperation among government agencies and the private telecom operators.

The renewed movement came as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged all related state agencies to speed up the first phase of the 10-year project in order to serve the digital economy initiative.

In quick response to the prime minister’s order, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of the project with TOT Plc, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Royal Thai Police.

Under the MEA’s first phase project spanning 10 years, a 48 billion-baht budget would be spent to put 127 kilometres of overhead power lines and cables at 39 roads in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi, underground.

But under the prime minister’s order, the MEA board chairman Mr Grisada Boonrach said it would be speeded up and completed in 2020 — five years ahead of the original schedule under the prime minister’s instruction.

MEA governor Mr Somchai Rojrungvasinkul said the MEA had initiated the project in 1987 but any agreement signed needed cooperation from other state agencies.

According to Bangkok Post, Meanwhile the NBTC will order all existing telecom and broadcasting licensees to remove their cables underground, as well as laying an underground system together with the electricity authorities’ power lines.

The TOT Plc will take responsibility for constructing an underground system worth 3 billion baht, and grouping all existing telecom and broadcasting cables into a single platform.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/five-state-agencies-ink-agreement-bring-overhead-utility-cables-underground/


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-30

[Confuscious]

Quick, quick.
Put the cables underground.
Bill Gates made Thailand looks ridicule in front of the whole world.
We need to correct this instantly.
Not wait 10 years.
ROTFLMAO

[sjjmmi]

2075 maybe

[trogers]

Agreement inked in 1987. Yup! That's about the length of time to pay for a telephone land line back in the early 70s and actually getting it.

[jvs]

A lot of Thai people will die because of this,you can see a cable overhead but what will happen when they are hidden?

I hope the people in charge will realize a safety campaign telling the people not to dig without locating the cable first.

[patyh]

Before moving it underground..

Maybe try to have a proper plan drawing of where everything is?

I imagine 10 years down the road, after everything have been moved underground, we will start seeing news of "Government agencies accidentally cut a underground cable.."

[rkidlad]

So let's get this straight. Bill Gates observed (not criticised) that there were a lot of hanging cables around Thailand. Anyone with half-a-brain agreed with him. Anyone who lives with their head up their ar** said he should mind his own business.

Now the government has said it will sort all this out. Whether they will or not will have to be seen. But the lesson here to be learnt is - calling a spade a spade or constructive criticism is good for any society. Burying your head in the sand doesn't change anything; in fact, it just makes the problem worse.

Just very sad it had to take one rich and powerful man to bring it into discussion. A foreign one, too.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks Bill!!! Perhaps you should comment on Thailand's failings on a more regular basis. We'd all be better off, for it.

Meanwhile, as much as I hate the ugly spaghetti poles wiring, I do wonder how the undergrounding initiative is going to fare with Bangkok's regular and for the future perhaps increasing flooding problems.

Perhaps in the first world, they have ways to securely insulate electrical and communication cables so that they're not damaged by coming in contact with flooding water. But here, you can bet, whatever they do is going to be cheap, substandard materials and poorly installed. So I'm more than a bit worried what the outcome of all this is going to be.

Of course, that's assuming, after today's announcement, that they actually DO anything in the next 20 years -- unlike the past 20 years where they managed to pretty much avoid doing anything.

[Carl64]

A lot of Thai people will die because of this,you can see a cable overhead but what will happen when they are hidden?

I hope the people in charge will realize a safety campaign telling the people not to dig without locating the cable first.

They will most likely forget where they put them!!

[The stuttering parrot]

Underground cables floods are not a good mixture. Actually quite shocking.

No problem though as this will never happen as it raises its head every 10 years or so and nothing's changed.

PMs initiative? I think not.

[gandalf12]

Be nice if they did but it would also mean refurbishing all of the roads to comply with International standards. If they don't the movement of the ground with just rip up the cables.

I will believe it when I see it and not a moment before.

[klauskunkel]

5 state agencies..., love to see the document, gotta have at least 30 different stamps on it...

[MaxLee]

Quick, quick.

Put the cables underground.

Bill Gates made Thailand looks ridicule in front of the whole world.

We need to correct this instantly.

Not wait 10 years.

ROTFLMAO

Just make sure, you don't "accidentally" shortcut Thailand's power for several months, in order to do so.....

[waldroj]

"...lack of spirit of cooperation among government agencies and the private telecom operators..." - Nothing surprising here!

But, there are going to be some surprises when the back-hoes start digging up the newly-laid power cables.

[HuaHinHim]

I'd just be happy to get a land line. Start with one above the ground first please.

Edited June 30, 2016 by HuaHinHim

[dcnx]

Quick, quick.

Put the cables underground.

Bill Gates made Thailand looks ridicule in front of the whole world.

We need to correct this instantly.

Not wait 10 years.

ROTFLMAO

Nailed it.

[mesterm]

And if Gates never brought it up? Mai pen lai another 50 years.

[mike324]

Bangkok, specifically sukhumvit has been working on underground cable tunnels. I've seen it around 1-2 years ago, they work late at night to dig up the road to lay these tunnels down. Tunnel is large enough for humans to fit, but won't be much space left once they start laying the cables/power lines.

[bradenroger]

Please, please replicate this in Pattaya also.

[aslimversgwm]

Please, please replicate this in Pattaya also.

They did start and finish Thapae Road in CM a couple of years ago - great job - well done - it improved the look of this major thoroughfare dramatically - but then it stopped - was supposed to carry on with Huay Kaew road - what happened? Anyone know? Lack of funds perhaps?

[Winniedapu]

God I hate yuppie-speak.

I'm not going to the lawyer's office to sign a contract any more, I'm reaching out to my lawyer (who gives really good meeting), then I'm going to do a bit of blue-sky thinking going forwards, then I'm going to ink an agreement. For pity's sake, to get an office job, you've got to talk like a moron all of a sudden?

Doesn't anyone speak English any more? I could understand if it was only the septic tanks, they're all a bit odd anyway, but it's everyone who can afford a red tie these days. And what makes it worse is that some actually look like real people. 30 years ago you could tell the yuppies because they all had mullets and snorted coke, but these days it seems like it's everyone.

Perhaps I'm getting old and curmudgeonly...

Winnie

Edited June 30, 2016 by Winniedapu

[halloween]

Owned a house in Oz with gas from cylinders HWS. While paying electricity bill saw council had electric units heavily discounted, so bought one as cheaper to run with off-peak power. Now I need a new power board with off-peak meter, which means disconnection from the mains. No problem except underground power has to be disconnected by Council worker, not my electrician.

Disconnect and re-connect (2 hours later) fees cost more than the new HWS, and I had to wait over a week for worker to be available.

[snoop1130]

Officials to fix cabling after worldwide negative attention, courtesy of Bill Gates
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: "How to Ruin Colonial Architecture" by Michael Coghlan/Flickr

After putting it off for a decade, officials say they are finally ready to take on the THB51.7 billion project of putting the city’s 127 kilometers of tangled overhead cables underground.

Interesting timing that they announced this just days after a photo of Thailand’s famous tangled street cables was posted to Facebook by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. His post went viral, and got Thailand exactly the kind of worldwide attention that it doesn’t want.

According to officials, the first part of the underground cable project is grouping all the electricity, communication and television cables together and placing them below 39 roads in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi. The TOT Plc is responsible for this phase, which will cost THB3 billion, reported Bangkok Post.

Full Story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/06/30/officials-fix-cabling-after-worldwide-negative-attention-courtesy-bill-gates

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-06-30

[snoop1130]

Avoid Ratchawithi road while it gets ugly cabling makeover
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter


Overhead wires adorn Bangkok’s Ratchawithi Road. Photo: Google

BANGKOK — Starting Friday, Ratchawithi Road will be partially closed as authorities begin moving its infamous tangle of overhead cables underground.

A few days after Bill Gates drew the ire of the kingdom for comments about the Garuda’s nests of messy cabling Bangkok is famous for, the electrical utility sought offered reassurances it undergrounding process continues, next along a stretch from Victory Monument to Tuek Chai Junction.

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2016/06/30/avoid-ratchawithi-road-gets-ugly-cabling-makeover/


-- Khaosod English 2016-06-30

[Confuscious]

So let's get this straight. Bill Gates observed (not criticised) that there were a lot of hanging cables around Thailand. Anyone with half-a-brain agreed with him. Anyone who lives with their head up their ar** said he should mind his own business.

Now the government has said it will sort all this out. Whether they will or not will have to be seen. But the lesson here to be learnt is - calling a spade a spade or constructive criticism is good for any society. Burying your head in the sand doesn't change anything; in fact, it just makes the problem worse.

Just very sad it had to take one rich and powerful man to bring it into discussion. A foreign one, too.

I remember another PM who was critisized by a foreign country and answered "the UNO is not my father".

That guy had obviously a lot more balls than the present PM.

[cyberfarang]

If the haphazard ways they arrange the overhead wiring here are examples to go by and if the same principles are applied underground, then walking on sidewalks will be like walking on a minefield, especially in the rainy season.

I can just imagine the heaps of dead electrocuted pedestrians piling up waiting for trucks to come and take them away.

[Confuscious]

Officials to fix cabling after worldwide negative attention, courtesy of Bill Gates

By Coconuts Bangkok

Photo: "How to Ruin Colonial Architecture" by Michael Coghlan/Flickr

After putting it off for a decade, officials say they are finally ready to take on the THB51.7 billion project of putting the city’s 127 kilometers of tangled overhead cables underground.

Interesting timing that they announced this just days after a photo of Thailand’s famous tangled street cables was posted to Facebook by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. His post went viral, and got Thailand exactly the kind of worldwide attention that it doesn’t want.

According to officials, the first part of the underground cable project is grouping all the electricity, communication and television cables together and placing them below 39 roads in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi. The TOT Plc is responsible for this phase, which will cost THB3 billion, reported Bangkok Post.

Full Story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/06/30/officials-fix-cabling-after-worldwide-negative-attention-courtesy-bill-gates

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-06-30

Wait a moment.

Are you telling everybody that the Government all of the sudden will spend THB 51,7 BILLION because a foreigner published something on FaceBook and gave Thailand worldwide negative attention?

Normally when something negative is published, the army would sue FaceBook, bring the guy in for an "attitude correction" and threaten to close the Internet.

What happened??????????

I am pissing in my trousers from laughing.

Expect a lot of Yellow shirts at the US Embassy this week.

ROTFLMAO

[louialive]

Avoid Ratchawithi road while it gets ugly cabling makeover

BANGKOK — Starting Friday, Ratchawithi Road will be partially closed as authorities begin moving its infamous tangle of overhead cables underground.

They make it sound like they will dig the road up and just magically drop the existing cables into the ground. I imagine there are going to be lots of disruption to users in these areas for sometime.

[ggt]

This is the biggest news coming out of Thailand for decades...bigger than the up coming referendum...completely transform the landscape for the better...

They will have to deal with animal rights people...building street walkovers for monkeys and squirrels as they remove their cable highways...

[Redline]

Quick, quick.

Put the cables underground.

Bill Gates made Thailand looks ridicule in front of the whole world.

We need to correct this instantly.

Not wait 10 years.

ROTFLMAO

Yes, you couldn't make this up. Dear Leader has complete disinterest in what is wanted or needed by Thai people but as soon as Bill speaks ... He really is a cartoon character.

Hopefully Bill will make a comment on road safety next.

Please everyone send Bill emails about road safety~surely it would work....